Market Gates bus service improvement scheme

Norfolk County Council is asking for feedback on proposed changes to the Market Gates bus interchange and surrounding area in Great Yarmouth. This page explains more about the proposal and how to take part in our consultation. 

What we're proposing and why 

The proposal seeks to improve public transport across Great Yarmouth. Enabling two way bus travel through the Market Gates Interchange will help:

• Make bus journeys quicker and more reliable
• Separate buses from general traffic
• Boost the local economy

The arrival of Herring Bridge has already changed traffic movements around the town. Approximately 1.2m passengers per year currently use the Market Gates interchange. We expect this figure to grow through:

• The new improved transport links delivered at the rail station
• Our continued investment in bus services across the region including:
  • New and extended routes
  • The £1.50 Great Yarmouth fare cap (£2 countywide)

Tourism is currently worth £648m per year to the town's economy, with 23% of all employment linked to this area. 

All recent investments in the town are about growing Great Yarmouth's economy to support local people. Having the right infrastructure in place to enable an efficient public transport network is key to this goal. This applies both within the town itself and through the connections to elsewhere in the county and beyond. 

Enabling two way bus travel through Market Gates would generate up to 5 minute journey time savings for buses at peak times. The changes aim to speed up journeys for passengers, improve journey reliability and encourage further investment in services. 

The proposals would benefit motorists by facilitating greater separation of buses from general traffic on key routes within the town centre. 

Plan locations 

• Market Gates Shopping Centre 
• Great Yarmouth Town Hall 
• Kingsgate Centre, Queen Anne's Road 
• Shrublands Community Café, Magdalen Way, Gorleston 
• Great Yarmouth, Gorleston or Caister Library 

If you have a queries or need an alternative format please email tfnorfolk@norfolk.gov.uk.

How to comment 

View the Market Gates proposals in detail and complete the online survey. 

You can find large displays about the proposals across the Great Yarmouth borough. Hard copy plans are available take away from display locations. Please also see our frequently asked questions (FAQs) below for further information. 

Deadline 

The deadline for comments is Sunday 16 June 2024. 

Next Steps 

We will carefully consider all responses in consultation with relevant councillors and representatives of the Great Yarmouth Transport Steering Group, as appropriate. This will happen before we make any decisions on how to proceed with the project. 

If approved to take forward, the advertisement of the formal Traffic Regulation Orders needed to deliver the project will provide a further opportunity for the public to comment. 

We'll keep this page up to date with the latest progress and information. 

Background 

The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded the county council nearly £50m of funding for its Bus Service Improvement Plan, aimed at improving bus services and infrastructure facilities across the county. The plan includes measures such as integrated travel hubs, new and more frequent services and bus priority infrastructure schemes such as this project along Southtown Road. You can read more about our work on the Bus Service Improvement Plan by visiting www.norfolk.gov.uk/busstrategy. 

FAQs

What will these changes mean for buses? 

Enabling two way bus travel through the Market Gates interchange will make bus journeys quicker and more reliable. Our studies estimate a 5 minute journey time saving for buses at peak times.  

Speeding up journeys for passengers and improving journey reliability will also encourage further investment in bus services. Examples include the recent fare cap and new or extended routes we're delivering in the area through Norfolk's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). 

These changes will also help separate buses from general traffic. By providing improved access to the town centre this will boost the local economy thought increasing footfall and supporting wider investment. 

What will these changes mean for cars? 

General traffic will still be able to drive everywhere it does now.  

The Howard Street to King Street section of Regent Street will continue to be:

• No entry for general traffic from the south
• Used by buses and taxis, with loading and access only for other vehicles

Allowing two-way travel on the north section of Temple Road will mean cars are able to travel north towards Priory Plain on exiting the car park of the Market Gates shopping centre.  This will provide an additional route out of the town centre.

There would be a change of direction required for cars on a few sections of one way streets within the proposal area. These are proposals numbered 7-9.

King Street would become South Bound traffic only from Regent Street to Regent Road. North bound traffic only from Alexandra Road to Regent Road.

Dene Side would become South bound traffic only, between Theatre Plain and Alexandra Road.

Regent Street would become East bound traffic only from Hall Plain. Bus, taxi, loading and access only from Howard Street onwards.

This will facilitate the new bus routes and all streets would remain accessible. 

We show all the required highway changes on the main scheme proposal plan. Everything else would remain as it is currently, including the bus stops that are not changing.  

Will I still be able to access car parks behind the market place via Hall Quay and Howard Street South? 

Yes:

• The proposals won't change access into Hall Plain and Howard Street South
• Regent Street would remain closed to general traffic from the junction with Howard Street as it is currently. The vehicles permitted to use Regent Street would just be travelling in the opposite direction. 

If Temple Road becomes two-way, why aren't you adding a right turn into St Nicholas Road? 

Allowing a right turn onto Temple Road for vehicles leaving the Market Gates shopping centre provides greater flexibility to the local road network. However, these proposed changes are primarily designed to improve bus travel.

Local traffic can already turn immediately right on exiting the car park to access the local area. For this reason, an additional right turn at St Nicholas Road is not needed and would:

• Add significant additional cost
• Potentially lead to bus delays caused by traffic waiting to make the right turn into St Nicholas Road 

What will these changes mean for taxis? 

A new bus stop near to the Troll Cart pub would mean a reduction in space for waiting taxis at this location. We would likely need to reduce from 8 cars to 4.

We've identified opportunities for:

• Extra taxi spaces on King Street and Dene Side
• Continuing evening use of the nearby loading bay on Alexandra Road and making great use of Theatre Plain

We will be discussing all these options with local operators. This is so we can fully understand their requirements and ensure the local area continues to be well served. 

What does the proposal mean for cyclists? 

We are proposing no changes to cycle routes. The contra flow between Market Gates and Howard Street would just be in the opposite direction. 

Cycles can still travel east along Regent Street, King Street, and Regent Road on the main carriageway. 

What does the proposal mean for pedestrians? 

Facilities for pedestrians would remain relatively unchanged. We would:

• Keep crossings in their present locations
• Remove the current traffic island from Hall Quay
• Install an uncontrolled crossing point on the bottom of Regent Street 
• Replace the current uncontrolled crossing points at the northern end of the bus interchange with a signal controlled push button crossing. This will make it easier and safer to cross all three traffic lanes in one movement, close to the Iceland store. 

What other schemes are currently proposed for Great Yarmouth under the Bus Service Improvement Plan? 

Travel Norfolk outline all improvements delivered under Norfolk's Bus Service Improvement Plan, so far, on their website. Read about how we're improving bus services, including those in Great Yarmouth, on the Travel Norfolk website.

Some changes relate to fare promotions, extension to operating hours, new or extended bus routes. Others relate to infrastructure changes that we've designed to speed up bus travel, improve reliability or make services more accessible. 

The first scheme we delivered in Great Yarmouth under BSIP funding was at the Rail Station. Go to details about the Acle New Road scheme.

We launched a public consultation on proposed improvements on Southtown Road in early May 2024. Read about the Southtown Road Bus Improvement scheme.

What will happen to bus services while work we carry out work? 

We are currently in talks with all bus service providers. This will help us confirm full service management details during works.

Due to the level of works in the bus station area, it's likely that we'll need to suspend some stops. We are working on plans to temporarily move stops to other locations nearby.

Should the proposal go ahead, any change to stop locations will be widely communicated by the council and bus operators. This would include signage on site.  

How will we manage the disruption? 

We would seek to carry out work in phases outside of peak holiday periods and look to keep any disruption to a minimum. Some temporary changes to traffic management would be needed, whilst works take place.

Throughout the development of the project we will be liaising closely with local businesses, residents and relevant groups to minimise these impacts. This preliminary consultation will help to facilitate those discussions. 

We would communicate any temporary impacts in advance. The long term benefit these proposals can bring the local area in terms of increased footfall and further investment will outweigh any short-term inconvenience. 

How much will the project cost and how is it funded? 

The project is currently estimated to cost around £2m to deliver. Government recognise that this is good value for money in terms of the benefits it would deliver for bus services and the future growth of the town. 

We would deliver the proposed changes using funding from Norfolk's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). UK Government awarded £49.6m to Norfolk County Council for the BSIP.

Can you spend the money on something else? 

The Department for Transport allocated this funding to Norfolk. We can only spend the money on improvements to local bus services. If the project does not go ahead we will, most likely, have to give the money back to Government. We can't use the money to support other frontline council services or wider highway improvements. 

If you have any questions regarding the allocation of public funds, please contact your Member of Parliament.